Thread: Record 043 Plough Plane Question

35 degrees.

Have a look at UKalf's site www.cornishworkshop.co.uk There's an excellent section on setting up plough planes.

Cheers, Vann.

Thanks for the info and link. I'll sort those blades out shortly

Craig

Hi Craig,
Once you get your 043 up and running, you might like to add an auxiliary fence.
Best thing I ever did for mine:
Cheers
SG

Hi Craig

I prefer 25 degrees, but it depends on the quality of the steel. With a higher bevel angle on a 45 degree bed you can begin to run out of clearance angle with a 35 degree bevel.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by derekcohen

I prefer 25 degrees, but it depends on the quality of the steel. With a higher bevel angle on a 45 degree bed you can begin to run out of clearance angle with a 35 degree bevel.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Hi Derek
Would this apply to the Stanley 45 as well?

TT

Gents,

Thanks again for the tips. 25 degrees for sharpening it will be, and I've got a nice selection of 100 year old cedar that will have a couple of off-cuts suitable to make an aux fence. I love the idea of the fence. Gold dust

Craig

One little tip in using the 043 might be of some assistance.
I don't know if this applies to all 043's, but it certainly does to mine. When using the two narrowest blades, I find that the lever cap will not engage squarely on the blade as it is too narrow. My solution is to stack these two blades beside each other with the supporting blade withdrawn a little so that only the chosen blade projects from the mouth.
The lever cap can then share the support offered by the broader base that the pair of blades offers.
Cheers
SG

Gents,

Thanks again for the great tips. I love the one about using the second blade to help secure the main one.

Craig

Hi Scribbley, any reason for using Mackay Cedar? Or would any timber work for the aux fence? Thanks Geoff

Originally Posted by Geoff123

Hi Scribbley, any reason for using Mackay Cedar? Or would any timber work for the aux fence? Thanks Geoff

It happened to be on hand in an appropriate size. Could easily have been something else.
Actually I was about to plane New Guinea Rosewood.
This is an oily-ish timber and would have been an even better choice.
I was drawn to the reddish colour of the Mackay Cedar - Australian rosewood would look even better I think.

Cheers
SG

Originally Posted by Twisted Tenon

Hi Derek
Would this apply to the Stanley 45 as well?

TT

Hi TT

As a rule of thumb, all plane blades used in a bevel down format should be honed at 25 degrees. It is only when the steel may be less than stellar ... shows signs of being too soft (i.e. the edges begins to roll over) ... that you would increase the bevel angle towards 30 degrees.

On any bench blade with a 45 degree bed, you need a minimum of 7 degrees clearance between the bevel and the wood surface (otherwise the blade stops cutting). The amount of clearance depends on the hardness of the wood. Soft woods may need more clearance. A bevel of 35 degrees has a clearance of 10 degrees (i.e. 3 degrees of leeway - not much of a safety margin). A bevel of 25 degrees has a clearance of 20 degrees (i.e. 13 degrees of leeway - that's better).

Exclusions to this rule are bevel up planes and blades made from steel for which a higher angle is better suited, such as A2 (although I have not experienced a problem in practice. I believe that this is more an issue with A2 chisels than A2 plane blades).

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by derekcohen

As a rule of thumb, all plane blades used in a bevel down format should be honed at 25 degrees. It is only when the steel may be less than stellar ... shows signs of being too soft (i.e. the edges begins to roll over) ... that you would increase the bevel angle towards 30 degrees.

Hmmm....

The manual for Record's 043 & 044 states that the cutters are factory ground at 35°.
The manual for the 044c states the cutters are "...accurately ground to the correct 35° bevel before leaving the factory...".
The manual for the Stanley #50 states "...all straight Cutters are ground and honed at an angle of approximately 35°..." and
The manual for Stanley's 13-050 states "the cutters are supplied ground correctly at an angle of 35°..."

I couldn't find a reference to angles in the Stanley 45 manual nor the Record 405 manual.

While I don't have much experience of using plough planes, I'd be reluctant to stray too far from the manufacturers recommended cutter angles myself. So if 35° is the "correct" angle, anything else must be... err... incorrect .

(Grabs coat and heads for the door... )

Cheers, Vann.

Hi Vann



I have not read those manuals. 35 degrees!!! That just does not make sense to me. Still, I am willing to accept I am wrong and willing to learn.

mmm ... I checked the LV recommendation for the Veritas Small Plow. It also recommends 35 degrees. The Skew Rabbet is 30 degrees. However all these are A2 steel, which recommend a minimum 30- as opposed to 25 degree angle, so comparisons are not as straight forward.

I would still use a 25 degree bevel on the #043 and #044. Only if this does not hold up would I move to a 30 degree bevel. My own #043 (and similar) has used the lower angle happily for years.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Got two of these myself that need setting up. Do they benefit from any after market blades - if any such beast exists?

Cheers
OG